Tim Lukes

Black Belt

Tim has been studying Brazilian Jiu jitsu since 2005. Prior to that he studied JKD and Kali.

“I feel that BJJ is more than just a martial art and sport, it can become a lifestyle that encourages you to eat more healthily not drink too much and generally enhances your overall fitness. I also think that if you have to choose one martial art to do for self defence BJJ is the most effective in real terms”

Born in 1966, Tim competes when he can and whilst at blue belt won gold at the IBJJF Europeans 2009 at both his weight and open weight categories.

Tim has become 2x European Champion in open weight categories this year after travelling to Portugal and coming back to Cornwall with two medals (silver in his category and gold in open division).

Mark Bauer

Brown Belt

I started bjj in July 2010 after I decided I needed a change from rugby,a sport I had played from childhood. Initially I was drawn to bjj through my interest in mma and as exciting as the striking was to watch I was always more intrigued by the skills being displayed when the fighters went to the ground. It only took one class under professor Raphaels tuition for me to realise I loved jiujitsu and I was in the right place. When I started I weighed 85 kgs! Within 4 months I was down to 73 kgs and at my first competition where I narrowly missed out on the bronze for my respective category, 2 months later I was at my next competition weighing under 70 kgs ( where my weight has stayed ever since). I was promoted to blue belt in April 2011 I competed when I could three in total one being the European championship in Lisbon I was training a minimum of three classes a week at this stage. In the September of 2013 I was promoted to purple belt, here I competed both domestically and internationally once again my training by this point upto five times a week I was lucky enough to capture my first title and became the purple feather weight British champion ( hopefully first of many). And it was the September of 2015 when I was promoted to Brown belt , I have done all of this with my team mates and under the excellent tuition of professor Raphael dos santos and professor Tim lukes I continue to learn and better myself at Gracie Barra Cornwall and am privileged to be able to teach and train here.
The fact fact that Brazilian jiu-jitsu is physically and mentally testing aswell as constantly evolving is just a bonus!